WWE SummerSlam 2019
Title: SummerSlam 2019
Producer: WWE
Running Time: 275 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 7 2019
(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)
This is our DVD review for WWE SummerSlam 2019. It’s a show suffering from a somewhat underwhelming build. That’s due to certain matches only receiving minimal promotion, and a number of the card’s “main events” feeling secondary for such a major event. However, as they often do, the wrestlers stepped up in most cases to ensure that SummerSlam would be a worthwhile show to enjoy, both live and upon second viewing. This is the latest DVD review for our site. So, let’s see what we think of SummerSlam 2019!
SummerSlam 2019 Under Card
Kicking things off, Natalya has many – but not all – of her Canadian fans in Toronto behind her as she tries to dethrone Becky Lynch as Raw Women’s Champion in an energetic Submission match. We then got a treat in the form of Goldberg returning to destroy Dolph Ziggler, but not before a teased shock win for Dolph via two early superkicks. Something completely different followed as AJ Styles and Ricochet put on a strong United States Championship match which shows how in-ring standards have increased over the past five years; a decade ago, this would have been a must-see contest, whereas in 2019, it was just adequate.
Sadly, Bayley and Ember Moon couldn’t even reach that level during their SmackDown Women’s Championship match, partly because the Toronto audience weren’t particularly bothered about their bout (perhaps due to both being babyfaces and their “issue” being wafer-thin). They reacted better to Kevin Owens as he put Shane McMahon in his place during a fun yet forgettable match with Elias stationed at ringside as a second referee. Next up was arguably the match of the night as Trish Stratus returned to put in a career performance against Charlotte Flair, another reminder that Charlotte is probably the best all-round female star in the company right now.
SummerSlam 2019 Main Events
Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Title was a TV-level match with a TV-style double countout finish, and this combined with fans booing Kofi at various points made this the disappointment of the evening. Conversely, Bray Wyatt completed his rebirth as The Fiend via a quick squash-like win over Finn Balor, but the talking point was the presentation, from the attire to the moves to the exhilarating entrance, and though I feel some of the praise was a bit OTT, there’s no doubt that The Fiend’s arrival into the arena was a must-see moment.
In the main event, Seth Rollins managed to dethrone Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion for the second time this year. Unlike at WrestleMania 35, where it was a relatively brief battle, here we had a proper main event match, and both men rose to the occasion by delivering a belting bout. When he is fully motivated, Lesnar is one of the best in the business, and Rollins defied criticism from fans (including those who decided that a few odd tweets should make him a real-life villain forever more, apparently) by putting on a performance to justify his standing as Raw‘s top babyface competitor.
SummerSlam 2019 Analysis
We’ve got a fair few extras too, partly because the main card lasted just under 3 ½ hours. This is way down from the 5 hours of Royal Rumble 2019, which paradoxically is a good thing. From the Kick-Off Show, there is Drew Gulak vs. Oney Lorcan for the Cruiserweight Title, Apollo Crews vs. Buddy Murphy and Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics for the Women’s Tag Team Titles, as well as an Edge interruption of an Elias concert. Also included here are two Raw segments (Dolph Ziggler learning that he would face Goldberg, and Sasha Banks’ return to WWE the night after SummerSlam) and two SmackDown segments (The King’s Court starring Charlotte and Trish, and a Shane/KO promo).
SummerSlam 2019 Summary
On the whole, then, WWE SummerSlam 2019 is an enjoyable event. It is nowhere near being the best SummerSlam of all-time, but Lesnar vs. Rollins and Charlotte vs. Trish are excellent, Becky vs. Natalya and AJ vs. Ricochet are very good, while The Fiend’s official debut is a high point of WWE on PPV in 2019. Add to that the extras, and this is a two-disc set that is worth a look.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 – Good
Further Link
To purchase WWE SummerSlam 2019 on DVD online, click here.
So, those are our thoughts on WWE SummerSlam 2019 on DVD! But what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
